Singapore Sees No Conflict in Former Minister Advising Hong Kong

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Singapore said its former foreign
minister’s role as an adviser to the Hong Kong government on
economic development is not a conflict of interest.

George Yeo, who left the Singapore Cabinet after losing his
parliamentary seat in elections two years ago, was named a non-official member of Hong Kong’s Economic Development Commission
by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying last month. The move is not a
violation of Singapore’s Official Secrets Act, Masagos Zulkifli,
senior minister of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
said in Parliament today.

“It is not unusual for governments to appoint foreigners
as advisers to tap on their professional expertise and
experience,” Masagos said. “Mr. Yeo constantly upheld our and
will continue to uphold our national interests.”

Yeo, 58, had also led Singapore’s trade, health and
information and communication ministries in more than two
decades as a politician. Singapore will not restrict other
former ministers of trade, finance and defense to take on
overseas advisory in the future, Masagos said.

Hong Kong formed the Economic Development Commission to
provide “direction and advice to the government on the overall
strategy and policy” to improve its growth and development, the
government said Jan. 17.

After leaving politics, Yeo became the vice chairman of
billionaire Robert Kuok’s Kerry Group (HK) Pte and also chairman
of Kerry Logistics Network Ltd. In November, Yeo, who has an MBA
from Harvard Business School, was named an independent non-executive director of AIA Group Ltd.